Golfers raise $100,000 for Cure Kids

By James Beech

Created 03/12/12

[1]

The Seqel Sledgers (from left) Hansells Food Group chief
executive Ross MacKenzie, of Auckland, and Skeggs Group
director Bryan Skeggs, of Nelson, with Cure Kids director
Don Jaine and Pacrite Industries managing director Brent
Mackway-Jones, both of Auckland, won the best-dressed prize
at the 2012 The Hills Cure Kids Open. Their prize was to
tee off from the Remarkables mountain range courtesy of
Over the Top - The Helicopter Company.

The 2012 The Hills Cure Kids Open near Arrowtown
attracted its largest field yet of 94 amateur golfers in 25
teams and raised more than $100,000 - its most yet - for
research into life-threatening illnesses.

The two-day charity tournament was hosted for the fifth year
by the exclusive golf course owned by entrepreneur Sir
Michael Hill.

It involved captains of industry and retail who registered
for $1350 each and played for team and individual prizes of
more than $20,000.

The winning teams of the tournament were David and Deirdre
McAlpine, with Jeff and Virginia Poole, all of Auckland.

[2]

Cure Kids supporters (from left) Ian Carter and Les Wilson,
both of Dunedin, with Colin Strang, of Alexandra, and David
Skeggs, of Arrowtown, pose on The Hills fairway on
Saturday. Photos by James Beech.

The men's individual stableford winner was Rod Duke, of
Auckland, while the women's individual stableford winner was
Mrs Poole.

Before the second day of fairway trials and tribulations,
beneath light showers of rain, golfers were reminded about
what the money raised by the open would be used for.

Director of the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute Prof Swee
Tan explained how its reconstructive plastic surgery was
improving patients' quality of life.

Prof Tan described how, on some infants, strawberry
birthmarks grew quickly for nine months, then gradually
shrank over 10 years to leave a lump or wrinkled skin which
could be removed by laser surgery.

However, he said a strawberry birthmark was really a tumour
which could cause blindness and death.

Treatments over the past century were only partially
effective and had side-effects.

Cure Kids supported the Wellington institute's research which
found a new treatment that, if given to children twice daily,
regressed their birthmarks in five months.

Cure Kids ambassador Alex McKay described how not only he and
twin sister Lizzie McKay were living with cystic fibrosis,
but their parents and elder brother were also affected,
spending more time at the twins' bedside in hospitals than at
home.

However, despite a "tough" two years, Mr McKay told the
audience he and Lizzie were determined to live life to the
fullest and had shared a great 21st birthday celebration
earlier this year.

The young man, who doctors thought would not live beyond his
16th birthday, said he would soon return for his fourth year
of studying law and commerce at the University of Auckland.